Ukraine has significantly revised the US-drafted “peace plan” to end the conflict with Russia, removing some of Moscow’s most sweeping demands and narrowing the framework from 28 to 19 points, according to sources familiar with the talks.

The shift comes as European leaders insist that any deal must involve them directly and that no breakthrough is likely in the coming days.

The original 28-point proposal, prepared last month by United States President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, required Ukraine to withdraw from key cities in the eastern Donbass, reduce the size of its armed forces, forgo NATO membership, and give up its claim to Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk.

Framework gets drastically altered

Following negotiations on Sunday in Geneva led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak, the framework was drastically altered. Kiev and its European partners now assert that the existing frontline must serve as the basis for any territorial discussion and reject any recognition of land seized by Russian forces.

On Monday, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the document had been reduced and “many correct elements” incorporated, adding that the remaining sensitive issues would be addressed in talks with Trump, possibly later this week in Washington.

Europe demands involvement

Ukraine’s first deputy foreign minister, Sergiy Kyslytsya, said key issues, notably NATO membership and territorial terms, had been left “in brackets” for Trump and Zelensky. Kiev is simultaneously urging Washington to ensure European participation in the next phases of the process, after officials felt sidelined in the wake of the initial proposal.

US Vice President JD Vance reportedly agreed to that demand, but Moscow quickly signaled dissatisfaction.

Yuri Ushakov, President Vladimir Putin’s top foreign policy advisor, said Russia would seek to “rework” parts of the US plan, describing some provisions as acceptable but others requiring “detailed discussions”.

He dismissed a separate European counter-proposal, calling it “completely unconstructive”.

Europe demands more involvement

European leaders, meeting at an EU-Africa summit in Angola, warned that progress remained limited and that Europe must be involved directly.

European Council President Antonio Costa welcomed “a new momentum," while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the revised framework “a solid basis” but stressed that Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial control were non-negotiable principles.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Russia must ultimately come to the table and that Europeans must sign off on any element affecting their own security. Poland’s Donald Tusk cautioned that the process required delicate handling to keep the US engaged without emboldening Moscow. Sweden’s Ulf Kristersson insisted the talks must ensure “aggression never pays.”

Additionally, the chairs of parliamentary foreign affairs committees from 20 European countries issued a joint warning that any settlement must be “grounded in international law” and not reward Russia’s military actions.

Read more: Zelensky advised to delay US visit to protect peace talks

Washington rejects claims Trump is favoring Moscow

Meanwhile, Trump struck a cautiously optimistic tone, writing on Truth Social that “something good just may be happening” in the talks, while Rubio described the Geneva round as “very, very positive”.

The White House rejected criticism, including from within the Republican Party, that the president is leaning toward Moscow’s position.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called such claims a “complete and total fallacy."

Zelensky, meanwhile, is facing mounting internal challenges. A corruption scandal has forced the dismissal of two ministers, while Russian forces continue to make gains in parts of the front.

Kremlin responds to changes

The Kremlin on Tuesday provided measured comments regarding the ongoing US-led peace efforts in Ukraine. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had nothing to formally comment on reports that US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll met with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi to present a revised version of the US-proposed plan.

“We still have nothing to say. We are monitoring media reports. We are analyzing them,” he told reporters.

Peskov clarified that Moscow has not yet received the updated 19-point version of the plan approved by Kiev.

“No. That is, we do not know what it is all about,” he said, adding that Russia was given an earlier draft of the US plan, which largely corresponded to the spirit of prior discussions in Anchorage. He also noted that contradictory information and statements about the US peace plan have created “information chaos".

Russia understands that original plan will undergo changes

The Kremlin emphasized that it understands adjustments are being made to the published text of US President Donald Trump’s settlement proposal.

“We understand that some adjustments are being made to the text that was published. We understand that the text that was unofficially received by us earlier has now undergone changes,” Peskov said.

Despite this, Peskov described Trump’s plan as “substantive” and said it could serve as a strong basis for negotiations. He confirmed that work is currently underway between the US and Ukraine based on the Trump draft, while Russia’s engagement will follow once official contacts are made.

“We are waiting for the American side to share its contacts [plans], preferably, of course, officially,” he added.

Peskov stressed that Russia remains interested in achieving its objectives through political and diplomatic means.

“Our position has not changed at all. It has been repeatedly reaffirmed by the president of our country, and we consistently adhere to this position,” he said, emphasizing that Moscow remains fully open to the negotiation process on Ukraine.

Istanbul talks, European role

The Kremlin spokesperson also commented on the Istanbul talks, noting that they were paused “through no fault of ours” and that the process had been interrupted by Ukrainian representatives. Regarding Europe’s role, Peskov said that discussing security guarantees or a broader European security system would be “practically impossible without the participation of Europeans,” noting that their involvement will be necessary at some point in the process.

Read more: Trump could end Ukraine conflict by halting NATO bid: Sachs

US, Russia hold peace talks in Abu Dhabi 

Meanwhile, US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has held unannounced talks with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi as part of an intense new push by President Donald Trump's administration to end the war in Ukraine, and more meetings were expected on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

The talks come as US and Ukrainian officials sought to narrow the gaps between them over a peace plan, with core issues still unresolved and Ukraine wary of being strong-armed into accepting a deal largely on the Kremlin's terms.

The exact nature of the talks in Abu Dhabi, which were confirmed to Reuters by a US official, was not immediately clear, and it was not known who was in the Russian delegation. The US official added that Driscoll, who has emerged as a point man for US diplomatic efforts, was also expected to meet Ukrainian officials while in Abu Dhabi.